Buckeyes to Square versus Ducks at Rose Bowl
Its another Old School shootout at the 111th ROSE BOWL game as Ohio State come to town to take on OREGON
Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
Its another Old School shootout at the 111th ROSE BOWL game as Ohio State come to town to take on OREGON
Of course, both teams have had ample time for evolution since that 32-31 Oregon win on Oct. 12. But they also have that game and players’ familiarity with each other, not to mention common opponents in the Big Ten.
This time it means a little more as its College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day.
“Sometimes when you’re playing against a team maybe from another conference in the playoffs, there’s a little bit of an unknown, how can you expect this guy to play?” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said earlier this week. “What am I really looking at when I look at the teams they’re playing?
OSU is coming off a 42-17 blowout win over Tennessee, Jeremiah Smith had two TD catches and is the best receiver in the country, Smith has 63 receptions for 1,037 yards and 12 touchdowns plus a rushing score. He’s a generational talent few can contain and had one of his four 100-yard games this season against Oregon. He is the only freshman on the Walter Camp All-American first team.
“We’ve all been looking forward to this one and for another crack at these guys,” said Howard, who had a rose stem in his teeth as he congratulated teammates coming off the field after the victory over Tennessee. “The way that last one ended doesn’t sit right with me. It still bugs me.”
Oregon quarterback Dillion Gabriel threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns, as Ohio State’s talented defensive front failed to sack him once and generated pressures just twice. Oregon’s wide receivers also won their one-on-one matchups, most notably against cornerback Denzel Burke, resulting in a barrage of big plays. But since then, the Buckeyes have dominated the opposition. Since the Oregon game, they rank No. 1 nationally in fewest yards allowed per play (3.8), yards given up per game (234.4) and points surrendered per game (11.7).
“This team’s not that way because we played them already and they played in the conference. So there’s again a reference point as we move into this one. So our guys know what they’re up against, but they also know that they’ve evolved and we’ve evolved, and so two very different teams heading into this game. And the team who prepares the best is going to win.”
This is the ninth appearance in “The Granddaddy of Them All.” The Ducks boast a strong postseason history, having won their last three Rose Bowl appearances, including their most recent visit in 2020.
Head coach Dan Lanning: “It’s something we’re extremely excited about, obviously getting to play a great opponent in Ohio State. I think that that’s a great representation of what the Big 10 is capable of. Having these two teams with the opportunity to face off in the granddaddy of them all. We’re super excited our players, our staff, certainly myself about getting this opportunity at the Rose Bowl.”
Oregon (13-0) is just 2-9 all-time against the Buckeyes, but has won each of the last two matchups, including a 35-28 win in Columbus in 2021 and the 32-31 win in October in Eugene.
The last time Oregon played Ohio State in the Rose Bowl was on Jan. 1, 2010, when Jim Tressel’s Buckeyes defeated Chip Kelly’s Ducks 26-17. Kelly now serves as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator almost 15 years later.
This will be a dandy!
